Process of smelting and refining volatile metals.



No. 713,043. Patented Nov. 4, |902. J. ARMSTRONG.

PRUGESS 0F SMELTING AND REFINING VOLATILE METALS.

(Application mea mmf. 24, 1902.)

,W11 u- 1,1. ,J m /V n nel.

(No Model.)`

Wvxla'ssa UNirnu gratas ATENT OFFICE.

Jol-1N ARMSTRONG, or LoND'oN, ENGLAND.

PROCESS OF SIVIELTENG AND REFINING VOLATILE METALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part' of Letters' Patent No. 713,043, datedNovember 4, 1902. 'Application ined nach 24,1902. serai No. 99,753. (Nospcimens.)

To ctZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ARMSTRONG, metallurgist and civil engineer, asubject of the King ofl Grreat Britain, residing'in London,

England, (Whose full postal address is 46 Lombard street, London,aforesaid',)=have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in orConnected with Processes of Smelting and Refining Zinc and otherVolatile Metals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement on the invention disclosed in my PatentNo. 701,458, granted June 3, 1902, whereby the volatile metal isobtained in the form of poussire and either utilized in that form orbrought into the solid-metal state by a subsequent process -in stead ofbeing condensed in a liquid-metal condenser, as described in my formerpatent.

I find poussire made by myprocess instead of being a half-oxidized masslike that obtained by the ordinary processes is an unoxidizedpulverulent metal very easily brought to the pig-metal state and in itspoussire form of great value as a deoxidizer or chemical reagent.

My improved furnace, as far as the reducing portion is concerned, doesnot differ materially or in principle from that set forth in the formerpatent except in place of the liquidmetal condenser I conduct the fumesto a surface condenser through suitable iiues or tubes.A In this presentinvention I prefer to divide the process into two separate portions. The

first portion can be very well conducted in al pendentr columnofincandescent fuel, as

shown in the'drawings.v In order to make this matter clear, I willdescribe the process as I have actually carried it out upon orecontaining abouttwenty to twenty-five per cent. of lead and ifteen totwenty-five per cent. zinc and from twelve to twenty-seven ounces ofsilver per ton. These ores are known as complex sulfid ores. I take theore, grind it to powder, roast it as sweetly as possible l of lead isvolatilized.

`little zinc.

vided poussiere.

to getl rid of the sulfur, then mix it with the requisite quantity ofiron oXid oriron ore, (this quantity being determined by the amount ofzinc'and silica in the ore,) together with the fluxes, such as commonsalt, black ash, carbonate of soda, lime,.fluorspar,-oxid of manganese,or. other suitable iiuX. VThis is mixed together-intimately and placedin the furnace in powder, or it may be formedv into briquets and placedin the central compartment of the blast-furnace, the fuel being placedin the two side compartments, the object being in the first operation,when ores of this nature are operatedupon, tovdrivethe Zinc al mostventirely into the slag in order that the zinc may be purified andseparated from the lead and silver, which are reduced to the metallicstate and tapped out in the sump, asin the ordinary process. It is awell-known fact that in all blast-furnace operations acertain amount Itis therefore evident that by making this division in the process thefumes volatilized in the first half of the process will contain lead andsilver, also a These are condensed in the condensers, as shown in thedrawings, or any other chamber or suitable condenser that may beattached. 'lhe'fumes thus obtained are condensed in the metallic form asfinely-di- 'lhese are carefully collected from time to time and returnedto the furnace with the ordinary charge. The zinc being fluxed, as abovestated, into the slag, which is invariably practically free from leadand silver, is treated by the second process or zinc or other volatileores, together with iuxes, either in the furnace, as described, or inthe converter-furnace, already mentioned. The converter-furnace, ifused, is heated with fuel to a bright-red heat, and a certain amount offuel is mixed with the zinc slag or ore, together with lime or commonsalt, if necessary. TheA blast is then turned on, the zinc being rapidlyvolatilized. The Vconvertermouth is fitted against the column' ofincandescent fuel, which deoxidizes the metallic zinc vapors anddecarbonizesthe same by combustion of any free carbon. The zinc vapor isled through the tlues or tubes in the condensers, where it is condensedas metallic dust or poussire. This metallic dust or poussire can beeither used as poussire orit can IOO be pressed into blocks, with alittle carbon, the poussire being so entirely free from 0X- ids thatvery little carbon is necessary when placed in a retort (such asdescribed in my former patent, No. 701,458) to be quickly reduced tosolid metallic zinc.

I have shown a sloping pipe attached to the furnace or column of fuel,which I prefer should be constructed with a water-jacket for the purposeof cooling the vapors. The condenser may be in any suitable form orkind, but must be, together with the tube described,absolutelyair-tight.Thecondensers are preferably constructed with water-jacketcoolingsurfaces. I prefer conducting the waste gases when leaving thecondensers through a trap containing heavy oil or water. These gasessince passing through the column of incandescent fuel are valuablecombustible gases and can be used elsewhere, either for heatingfurnaces, boilers, or driving gas-engines or may be used with advantagefor distilling zinc in heating the retorts.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown, in Figure l, asection of theblast-furnace. Fig. 2 is part elevation and part section of aconverter-furnace.

Fig. l is a vertical section of a furnace almost identical with thatdescribed and shown in my former patent, but with the metallic bathsremoved and with tubes and condensing-chambers attached, while Fig. 2 isan elevation, partly iu section, of a converter-furnace used for thispurpose in conjunction with an independent column of incandescent fuel bZ). This latter is more suitable for pure volatile ores. Suitable fluxescan be added with the charge of ore, which is either calcined or usedraw, as it seems best for the kind of ore operated upon.

Referring to Fig. l, n n n are hoppers in which the charge and fuel areplaced. In the central one is placed the charge and coke or fuel in theside ones through the cup and cones fm mm. b b represent thefurnace-chainhers to contain columns of incandescent fuel, through whichthe metallic vapors ascend to the inclined pipes e e, leading to thecondensers. Thecondenserscontaiuwater-tubesg/y, connected at top wit-h awater-tank w and dippingat bottom into asimilar tank in which the levelof water is kept down by pressure of gasin the closed cham berof thecondenser, the metallic dust being deposited on the oor of thecondenser. Uncondensed gas passes 0E at top through an exit-pipe f,dipping into liquid, such as heavy petroleum, in the trap g, from whencecarbon-monoxid gas is carried away through a pipe to be used elsewhere.The pipes e may be inclosed in ordinary water-jacket coolers and placedat a greater inclination than here shown.

l the water-jackets of the blast-furnace. tis

' fed into the column b b through the hopper m. A door is formed at thebase at o for cleaning out clinker, ashes, (isc. The converter can beturned around on its pivots for discharging the slag and contents afterthe operation is finished.

In both constructions if it be found that condensation takes place inthe column of fuel or in the upper part of tube e the tube e must belowered or the heat increased.

In each form of apparatus the process results in depositing thecondensed metal in the form of dust or poussire on the floor of thesurface condenser, fumes not so condensed being subject to a secondcondensing operation and the carbon-monoxid gas conducted away for use.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim isl. The herein-described process,which consists insmelting ores containing zinc and like volatile metal and other lessvolatile metals with fluxes so as to slag the more volatile metals,condensing any fumes in the form of poussire, returning the saine to thefurnace, drawing off the slag and distilling it with fuel to obtain the`zinc and other very volatile metals and tapping out the mixture of lead,silver and other like metals, as described.

2. The herein-described process which consists in smelting orescontaining zinc and like volatile metal and other less volatile metalswith fluxes to slag the more volatile metals, drawing olf the slag;distilling the slag containing zinc and like volatile metals with fuelto obtain the vapors of said zinc and like volatile metals; condensingsaidvfumes in the form of poussiere and finally distilling saidpoussiere with a small portion of carbon and condensing in the form ofmetallic zinc, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 14th day ofMarch, 1902, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN ARMSTRONG.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH PHILLIP CRAWLEY, FRANK DUCK.

IOO

